Jayfeather's Heart
by FawnsongofThunderclan
Summary: This is a JayfeatherXHalf Moon based story. If you like it, please say so and I will continue it. It is romance, with a little drama and adventure thrown in. In this, Jayfeather plays the role of Jayfeather/Jay's Wing. I have also thrown in my own personal RP cat in as his apprentice. Dovewing also plays the role of Dovewing/Dove's Wing Rated T for violence & blood
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Jay's Wing! Help me! I'm in danger! We're _all_ in danger!" Jayfeather could hear her calling to him in his dream, her voice fading at every word.

"Half Moon! Don't leave me! I need you!" He woke to find himself in the remnants of his nest in the medicine den. It had been so long since he had been to the mountains where the tribe lived, so long since he had seen Half Moon. The last time he'd seen her, her spirit was almost completely faded. He had been so sure that she _had _faded completely. When he'd thought that, he was heart broken.

"Oh, Half Moon, how I hope you're not gone completely!" Jayfeather wailed to himself.

"I should probably talk to Firestar about this," he muttered under his breath "in case we, I mean, I, need to go up to the mountains." He shook himself off, flicking off a peice of moss from behind his ear before heading out of the den.

"Jayfeather? Where are you going?"

"Huh? Oh, it's just you, Fawnpaw. I'm going to talk to Firestar about something, about a dream I had." he told his apprentice, Fawnpaw, a pretty tan-and-ginger she-cat. She'd been his apprentice for about a moon and a half, and he still wasn't completely used to sharing a den with her.

"Jayfeather, you realize that the dawn patrol just left a few heartbeats ago, right?" Fawnpaw asked politely but sleepily. Jayfeather jutted his nose just outside the entrance to the den and felt a cool, gentle breeze against it.

"I'm sorry Fawnpaw, I didn't realize how early it was. I'm sorry if I woke you"

"You getting up wasn't what woke me, it was your thrashing. You were writhing about, calling someone's name, although I couldn't make it out. Are you alright? Sometimes I worry about you, Jayfeather."

He suddenly got very up-in-arms. "Look, just because I can't see doesn't mean-"

"I wasn't talking about that." she interrupted him "Most of the time I have to _remind _myself that you're blind. What I meant was, a lot of the time, you won't eat anything for a few days , and you spend almost all your time in here. _That's _what makes me worry about you, Jayfeather." There was genuine concern in her voice-and in her eyes, for that matter. Jayfeather relaxed.

"I'm sorry. I guess that does happen a lot. I'll try to do better so you don't have to worry as much, okay?" he asked, a bit sarcastically.

"Alright," she purred in reply. "but as long as we're both up, can we go herb collecting? We're running low on horsetail and comfrey, and I found a big marigold patch a few sunrises ago." she looked at him questioningly. "Jayfeather, if you want, you can talk to me about your dream."

Jayfeather had realized that her presence comforted him unlike anyone else in the clan - except his brother, of course. He'd always felt uncomfortable around large amounts of cats. But Fawnpaw, she was different. If only they were'nt medicine cats, and if only she were older.

_No, I can't afford to think like that. _Jayfeather scolded himself, interrupting his own thoughts.

"Umm... yeah, sure we can go herb picking, but I don't want to talk about my dream, really."

"Okay, if you don't want to talk, I won't pry. Do you want anything to eat before we leave?" she replied, full of energy. Jayfeather admired that about her.

"Yes, please. Thrush or squirrel, if there is any."

"Alright!" she replied, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I'll meet you at the fresh-kill pile!" with that she bounded off.

Jayfeather purred in amusement as she left. _She's adorable._ he thought to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Jayfeather walked into the clearing to meet his apprentice. He couldn't actually see her, which he thought was completely unfair, but at other times he was somewhat comforted by the thought. He'd gotten used to his blindness over the seasons, but when he got an apprentice, all his anger about it came back. At least all the other cats got to _watch _their apprentices blossom into warriors! He had seen her in a dream, though. Starclan had sent him a dream of her, allowing him the chance to see his apprentice every one in a while. He dreamed of her once every half-moon. He remembered exactly what she looked like from the last time he'd dreamed about her. He closed his eyes, imagining her small, lithe form, her medium-length tan-and-ginger for rippling gently in the breeze. Her eyes, her eyes were he strangest thing of all. They were the same color as the sky at sunset, somewhere between an indigo and a deep, dark purple.

"What's taking you so long, slow poke?" Fawnpaw mewed playfully, shaking him out of his thoughts.

"Nothing. I'll be right there!" He shook the last remnants of sleep from his sightless blue eyes, and padded over to the fresh-kill pile.

"I did manage to find you a squirrel, but it's a little small."

"Thanks." He said, before digging in.

After a short period of time, both cats were finished. They groomed themselves, then headed to the camp entrance. As they padded through the tunnel, the two cats were pressed into close quarters for a few heartbeats.

"Good morning Jayfeather, Fawnpaw. Beautiful day, isn't it?" mewed a cat as they walked past him on their way to the forest.

"Good morning, Bumblestripe." Jayfeather replied to the tom, Fawnpaw's father. "Yes it is a beautiful day, I can feel it."

"Are you going herb gathering?" Bumblestripe asked.

"Yes, we are." Fawnpaw answered her father before Jayfeather had a chance. "I _love _being a medicine cat!"

Bumblestripe and Jayfeather purred in amusement at the young she-cat's enthusiasm.

"Well, thank you, I'm glad to know that I have the approval of the only apprentice I'll ever have. But, if you'll excuse us, we had better get going before it gets to hot." Jayfeather mewed to Bumblestripe, then the two medicine cats trotted off.

"So, what did you say we were low on?"

"Horsetail, comfrey, and we could use a bit more marigold."

"Alright, I know a good place to look for comfrey. It's down by the lake. I can't remember a good place to look for anything else, though." At this last part, Jayfeather sounded very frustrated with himself.

"That's alright, I know of a few good places to find the other things. Would you like me to take you there?" the tabby apprentice mewed to her mentor, as gently as if she were speaking to a kit.

Hearing her voice, so sweet and patient, made him wish he were a kit again, curled up in the nursery, sleeping with his littermates.

"Yes." He breathed a deep sigh "That would be very helpful."

In silent agreement, Fawnpaw came up to lead her mentor, rather than following him.

"We're here." the small she-cat whispered, not wanting to disturb the perfect morning. She stopped and stretched her tail out behind her so her blind mentor wouldn't run into her flank.

"I'll get the marigold if you'll get the horsetail, it's all in this general area." The apprentice spoke kindly and softly, knowing they were both still tired.

"Alright, I will." Jayfeather's eyes were heavy, and he was wishing that it wasn't so early and that he had gotten more sleep.

By now he was practically tripping on his own paws, tasting the air, looking for herbs.

After a small while, he had a large mouthful of leaves.

"Fawnpaw!" Jayfeather called to his apprentice to get her attention, setting down the plants.

"Yes Jayfeather?" was her muffled reply.

"Are you ready to head back to camp? I think we have enough herbs." he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, I am, but what about gathering the comfrey?" Jayfeather could tell she was exhausted, but she didn't want to forget anything.

"I'll send Dovewing to pick some for us when we get back." was his simple, to-the-point answer.

"Alright. Then let's get going!" meowed Fawnpaw, a tiny bit of her usual pep back in her voice.

As they tripped and trodded back to camp, Jayfeather was at war with himself. He couldn't decide whether or not to talk to Firestar about his dream.

_If I don't tell him, the tribe could be obliterated. I should tell him. _was what one part of him was saying, but the other part of him disagreed.

_NO! Don't talk to him about it! He'll think you're crazy! He'll want to know all the details of your dream, and you'll have to tell him. Then he'll know about your crush on a long-since-dead tribe cat, and he won't let you go. _

In his heart, he knew that these fears were completely irrational, but there was a small part telling that there was an extremely remote chance it could possibly happen.

When they returned to camp, the majority of the other cats were up and sharing tongues. Jayfeather could scent Fawnpaw's sisters, Sunsetpaw and Racoonpaw, outside the apprentice's den.

"Go put your share of the herbs in the den, and you can go share tongues with the other apprentices." He told his apprentice, after setting down his mouthful of plants.

"Really? Thanks, Jayfeather!" Fawnpaw squealed, around her mouthful of fluffy-leaved plants.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Besides, I need to check on the queens. Squirrelflight's kits are due within the next few sunrises."

Brambleclaw had finally forgiven Squirrelflight for lying and saying Jayfeather and his littermates - Lionblaze and Hollyleaf - were her kits, and therefore his as well, and now she was expecting his kits. Jayfeather was very happy for her, she wasn't so depressed anymore. He went into the medicine den, putting away the herbs he had gathered, and grabbing some poppy seeds, just in case.

As he crawled into the nursery, he was greeted by the cat that he had once thought was his mother.

"Hello! What brings you in here?"

"You know what brings me. Your kits are due any day now."

"I know, I know. I just wish that they were here already! I feel like, with this giant belly, I can't do anything!" She sounded exasperated, yet patient and loving.

"Let me come over and check on you, then maybe I can tell you a closer guess to how much longer you have left until the kits are born." He trotted over, sniffed her up and down, and pulled his head back calmly.

"Your kits will be here in a few more sunrises." He said.

Confident of his answer, Jayfeather started leave the nursery. Before he was even completely out of the entrance, Squirrelflight started to moan in pain. He knew what was happening. Squirrelflight's kits were coming. And he wasn't prepared. He whirled around, dashed back into the nursery, and started barking orders at the permanent nursery queens.

"Ferncloud! I need you to fetch Fawnpaw! Tell her that I need a stick and water-soaked moss. Daisy! Find Brambleclaw and tell him his kits are on their way. Go! Now!" He was practically screaming at the queens now, but he didn't want anything to go wrong.

"Yes Jayfeather!" the queens answered in unison, before racing out of the den.

Squirrelflight was whimpering and crying, "Jayfeather." She managed to mutter.

"It's ok. I'm with you until the end. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." Jayfeather said, curling up next to the queen, licking her ear, attempting to calm her.


End file.
